Internet Cafes: The untouchable Piracy?

**hellenes** · 12-03-2005, 18:54

In my country (Greece) Net cafes rule...
They provide online & single player gaming, internet browsing, p2p downloading, pretty much everything.
With above average netcafe PCs costing on retail 1500-2000 euros delivering quite good performance, and loaded with 40-50 latest games that cost another 1000 euros (to the lefitimate customer) if one adds to all above the ISP cost being 50 euros a month for 384kbps for a personal use and the net cafe providing on average 1mbps (sometimes even 10mbps) FOR the price of 1.5 euros per hour on average one can see the huge blow that the hardware and game software industry recieves.
Who would pay 4200 euros for 2 years of gaming and internet access while for the same money one can get 3000 HOURS!!! Of the same experience.
Most of the net cafes have their games with no-cd cracks for convinience for the customer AND because they have 1 (or none) original copy for the entire net cafe as far as SINGLE PLAYER games are concerned, the multiplayer games (Warcraft III, WoW etc) have all legitimate original copies but still operate with nocd cracks.
The ease and convinence that the net cafes provide is combined with the logical unwillingness of parents to buy computers to their kids because of gaming addiction, so all of them just flock to the net cafes and ditch their money there.
With net cafes one doesnt have to worry about vira, upgrading (since they buy cheaper the parts and upgrade higher providing a performance that private person cant), connection speed, installation.
Living my 3rd year in the UK I havent seen a SINGLE gaming net cafe, that makes me wonder are they legal?
Is the exploitation and commercial use of software and hardware lawfull?
Because its part of life in Greece.

Hellenes

**Navaros** · 12-04-2005, 01:48

Once I was in a Software Store/Internet Cafe in my city.

A customer was asking them; "so you guys must use pirated games here eh, I mean who can afford all those copies of the same game?"

Then they responded: "No, we don't do that here."

And the customer asked: "Why?"

Then they said: "We believe the developers deserve the money for their hard work."

Then the customer left the store.

And the one employee said to the other: "I hate when they mention the "P" word...of course we do that, everyone does that, but we're not gonna say that to a customer."

Of course they didn't realize I was eavesdropping on them. Anyhow that store has since shutdown, I think it was called MediaPlay or something like that. Not sure if they shutdown due to poor business, or their piracy.

**Alexander the Pretty Good** · 12-04-2005, 01:51

They clearly deserve being shut down...

Maybe it's more of a city thing, but there aren't any internet cafes near me that I know of...

**doc_bean** · 12-04-2005, 12:48

There are a few in Belgium, mostly in the back of game/computer stores. I'm not sure what their piracy policiy is.

BTW I find all these comments about how piracy is impossible to fight pretty dumb. There just isn't the political will to do it.

**Alrowan** · 12-04-2005, 13:26

weve got a LAN place setup about 5 mins from where i live, been a while since ive been but they wernt online when they started, but it was still a great place to go with a bunch of mates and just have an evening of LAN without the hassels of setting it all up. Best part was that you can book the whole place out for a night

**Mikeus Caesar** · 12-04-2005, 16:40

Originally Posted by hellenes

Living my 3rd year in the UK I havent seen a SINGLE gaming net cafe, that makes me wonder are they legal?
Is the exploitation and commercial use of software and hardware lawfull?
Because its part of life in Greece.

Hellenes

It's legal, just that there's no big demand for it. Everyone can afford their own PC, they've become part of family life. Most families have at least 1 PC (we have 2 and my grandad who can barely use a PC has 2 as well as internet), and the very large majority of them have the internet, so obviously opening up an Internet Cafe in this country would be highly unprofitable.

**AntiochusIII** · 12-04-2005, 21:49

Internet Cafes are often very "compromising" when it comes to issues with piracy. They don't seem to care much about legality if it saves their costs...

Of course, Greece isn't one of the stricter countries when it comes to software piracy.

Nonetheless, it is rather sad that America isn't having such a large number of internet cafes. Games like Counter-Strike are at their best when you play them with your mates side-by-side, shouting orders and taunts at each other with no headphones needed. Or may be just peeking at their monitors to see where they are in de_dust.

**hellenes** · 12-04-2005, 23:12

Originally Posted by Gelatinous Cube

That's why god invented LAN parties. One doesn't need to resort to Piracy to enjoy the very industry that he/she would then be helping to destroy.

LAN parties?
Where?
Taking whole towers and CRT screens with you?
Doesnt sound that convinient to me...
Anyway, I know many people that prefer to play in Net Cafes although they have internet connection home, because they find LAN games more socialising...
The sales of PC's for gaming purposes are very low, as very low are the sales of Single Player games' otiginal copies, but the Multi player games have no problem...
We have also in many (mostly countryside) net cafes chipped Playstation2s and people playing copied games on them for 1.5 euros per hour...

Hellenes

**Kraxis** · 12-05-2005, 00:53

Every first monday each month (that means tomorrow) I go out and play LAN Battlefield II (or Vietnam or 1942 for a few maps), starts at 19.00 and ends when we are tired.

That is of course done at a netcafé. We just preorder some 20-30 computers.

There are so many netcafés here that it is a very risky business. We have had two of our places die on us during the last year and a half, but now we have a stable, large and good café that seems to run everything the legit way (though all games are no-cd cracked).

**hellenes** · 12-05-2005, 02:08

Originally Posted by Kraxis

Every first monday each month (that means tomorrow) I go out and play LAN Battlefield II (or Vietnam or 1942 for a few maps), starts at 19.00 and ends when we are tired.

That is of course done at a netcafé. We just preorder some 20-30 computers.

There are so many netcafés here that it is a very risky business. We have had two of our places die on us during the last year and a half, but now we have a stable, large and good café that seems to run everything the legit way (though all games are no-cd cracked).

Thats the pain...
20-30 Pcs X 30 games per pc X 50 Euros per game = 45000 euros...
Thats a decent amount of money and in the competitive world if one doesnt pay all that he has the edge...
An extract from the RTW manual
"SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT:

LICENSE CONDITIONS

You shall not

1. Exploit this Program or any of its parts commercially, including but not limited to use at a cyber cafe, computer gaming centre or any other location based site. Activision may offer a separate Site License Agreement to permit you to make this Program available for commercial use;"

How many net cafes pay the publishers for License Agreements?
For 40 games?

Hellenes

**hellenes** · 12-05-2005, 05:09

Originally Posted by Gelatinous Cube

Oh noes!? It's inconvenient for you to go out and rent a cafeteria or something for a day!? Surely that is a perfect excuse to endorse piracy!

In fact, it's inconvenient for me to work for my money! I think I'll start mugging people!

Well I didnt mean to insult anyone its just kinda heavy and bulky to walk all the street carrying a 17" CRT monitor and a Tower....
Endorse piracy?
These net cafes pay taxes they are buisnesses not some kids pirating in their moms basement, if the state has no problem with them what can I say?

Hellenes

**hellenes** · 12-05-2005, 05:18

Originally Posted by Gelatinous Cube

You should not be asking the state, you should be asking the developers of those games.

1st
Whatever right or wrong the US government does, as I know the people back up the troops no matter if they are fighting an unjust and unnessesary war...
2nd
Its very nice and convinient to equalise the Emploee to the employer, why nobody speaks about the PUBLISHERS? They are the bosses they dictate the patching the target group of the game and most of the VITAL production stages.
Are the payed emploees like developers losing anything? They have the risk of losing Jobs, but its the PUBLISHER that losing money directly and can go bankrupt.
3rd
My only option is to form a political party, win the Greek elections and close all net cafes.

Hellenes